Absence and Illness
Attendance
Good attendance at school is vital if children are going to:
- make good progress
- be able to gain fully from and enjoy their experience at school, and
- reach their full potential.
Just ten days lost per year is equivalent to at least a term by the time they leave. Eighty per cent attendance results in over four terms lost. Attendance targets of at least 95% are set for schools and pupils, monitored by County and Government.
Any child’s attendance that should fall below 85% will be investigated by the Head Teacher who will write to parents and invite them to work together with the school to improve the attendance record going forward.
Absence & Illness
If your child is absent from school it is very important that you let us know the reason for absence as soon as possible. As a security measure we ask parents to telephone the school as soon as possible on the first day of absence. If no message is received by closure of registration a member of the office staff will telephone to ascertain why the child has not arrived at school. Regular and punctual attendance is an important part of a child’s educational development and our high attendance figures are a result of strong parental support.
If your child is unwell at school or has an accident we shall inform you as soon as possible, therefore it is important that we have a telephone number on which we may contact you during the day.
If your child has an appointment during the school day, a member of the school office team and/or the Class Teacher should be informed by letter or by a phone call in advance of the absence. The child will need to be collected from, and returned to, the school reception area where a note will be made of the time the child left and entered the building. This is necessary to ensure the safety of your child at all times.
Holidays
Changes to national government policy stipulate that head teachers are no longer permitted to approve any holidays during term time, unless there are exceptional circumstances.
This policy is designed to explain the procedure. Parents / carers should submit a written application for holidays to the school as soon as possible, stating the child’s name, period of absence requested and clearly setting out the reason why it is exceptional.
If holidays are taken without approval, they will be recorded as unauthorised absences and parents / carers could be liable to a fine.